Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel type of endogenous RNAs and increasing evidence have uncovered the important role of circRNA in tumor progression; however, the function of circRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains largely unclear. In the present study, it was demonstrated that the expression level of hsa_circ_0033155 was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissue and the expression of hsa_circ_0033155 correlated with lymphatic metastasis. In order to further investigate the possible role of hsa_circ_0033155 in NSCLC progression, circRNA was overexpressed in NSCLC cells and it was observed that the overexpression of hsa_circ_0033155 significantly decreased cell proliferation, colony formation and migration, and elevated the level of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, a tumor suppressor in many types of tumor. In conclusion, hsa_circ_0033155 may serve as a prospective biomarker for detection and a promising therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Keywords: biomarker; circular RNA; hsa_circ_0033155; non-small cell lung cancer; phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10.